Bath Salts a Problem in Ithaca

Police Raid Sheds Light on Issue

May 7, 2012

Ithaca (WENY) - Police in Ithaca and around the state continue to fight the growing problem of bath salts. Some Local businesses and people are taking things into their own hands to try and keep the dangerous substance out of their town. The movement comes after police seized more than $45,000 worth of the bath salts on Friday. Investigators took more than 1700 packages from "3D light" a head shop in the Ithaca commons after an under cover investigation. The people I talked to today say Bath salts are a serious problem in the area. They are working together to bring awareness to the issue.

Alyssa Perison knows how dangerous bath salts are. She used the synthetic drug for a long time, and ended up in the hospital.

“I went to the ER and had 2two abnormal EKG's I've never had a heart problem in my life and I had two abnormal EKG's and that was pretty terrifying.”

Scared that what happened to her could happen to someone else, she decided to do something about it. She put together a petition to get police to investigate 3D Light, a shop on the Ithaca commons that sold bath salts. Her work paid off.

Police raided store last week for selling bath salts but right across the way another store Jabberwock started a Facebook group against bath salts. The Facebook Group H.A.T.S. or “Headshops against Tweeker Salts” is to create awareness of what some say is a serious problem. Christina Nickerson the woman who created it was happy to hear about last week's bust.

“I was ecstatic but I don't want anything bad to happen to any of the stores here on the commons but I feel like anyone that’s selling that is distributing harm.”

Anyone with information about the sale of bath salts can call their local police. In Ithaca, the number is 697-0333.